Don’t miss this week’s four excellent events that are fun for the whole family. E-mail newsletter@beijing-kids.com to get each issue sent to your inbox. Check the beijingkids website for full event listings, www.beijing-kids.com.
Thu 10: Basically Beethoven Christmas Special Get your Santa hats on and celebrate the season at The Bookworm. They have all the Christmas essentials, including mulled wine for the grown-ups, mince pies for the younger crowd, and of course a healthy dose of caroling cheer courtesy of the Heavy Breathers, the Soul Sisters and the International Festival Chorus. It doesn’t get more festive than this. Free. 7.30pm. The Bookworm (6586 9507)
Don’t Forget: Pick up the latest edition of The Insider’s Guide to Beijing from the bookstore.
Fri 11: YCIS Christmas Bazaar and Christmas Concert
Still have presents to buy? Check out the bazaar full of treasures and treats. In need of some festive cheer? Families can get warm and fuzzy as they watch performances of Father Christmas and Mother Goose, The Case of the Counterfeit Santa, and all the classics. In the mood for giving? Proceeds from the bazaar go towards the YCISbeneficiary school for migrant children. With everything ticked off your Christmas to-do list, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the rest of your holidays. 10am (Wed 9), 1pm (Thu 10, Fri 11). Yew Chung International School (8583 3731)
Don’t Forget: Bring a few extra kuai – there’s nothing wrong with splurging a little in the name of charity.
Sat 12: beijingkids Santa on Ice 2010Santa has come early this year and will be heading to The Village for an afternoon of ice-skating, activities and winter fun. Kids get their very own Santa hat, a hot chocolate to take the chill off, and when they tire of sliding across the ice they can join in a fun Chinese kite-making session. To really put a smile on your little one’s face, every child gets a gift from Santa. To fill hungry tummies, lunch will be at the Hong Kong favorite, Orient Kitchen. Suitable for kids ages 3 and up. Tickets are limited to 120, so get in quick! RMB 150/per person. RMB 80/per person (beijingkids Club members). There will be two skating sessions.11am-12.30pm (session 1), noon-2pm (lunch), 2-3.30pm (session 2). Families can choose only one session; indicate your session preference when booking (each session includes lunch). For tickets call Victoria at 5820 7700 ext 855, or e-mail events@beijing-kids.com. Visit www.beijing-kids.com/beijingkids-club to find out how to become a beijingkids Club member.
Orient Kitchen, 3/F, bldg 4, The Village (6417 4070).北京市朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯
Don’t Forget: There won’t be any skating instruction so parents are responsible for keeping an eye out for their little ones on the ice.
Sun 13: Finding That Tree
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a giant, tinsel-bedecked tree. Downtown dwellers can head to Liangma Flower Market to choose a tree, though they tend to be a little lackluster. For a tree you can be proud of, head to Pinnacle Plaza in Shunyi to look at their selection. But if the idea of cleaning up pine needles for the next three months puts you off entirely, IKEA stocks some nice (and not too tacky) fake trees in a variety of styles and sizes.
Liangma Flower Market. Lufthansa Center (south bank of Liangma River) 758 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District. Daily 8.30am-6.30pm.
朝阳区东三环北路758号, 燕莎商城南, 亮马河南岸
Don’t Forget: Avoid transportation hassles and go for a smaller tree.
